


When It Comes Crashing

by haonqq



Category: Pillars of Eternity
Genre: canon-typical soul sucking, minor dream violence, mutual 'unrequited' pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-03
Updated: 2018-01-15
Packaged: 2019-02-27 18:23:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,272
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13254030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/haonqq/pseuds/haonqq
Summary: Sometimes you just gotta speculate the beginning of a sequel game cause you know its not going to be gay enough for you. I've said it once and I'll say it again; "If Eder doesn't show up and save you from the rubble of Caed Nua what is even the point"





	1. Too Much to Believe

**Author's Note:**

> "*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~" indicates a POV shift cause Im a mess  
> chapter titles from IAMX- I Come With Knives
> 
> also feel free to leave criticism cause I'm neeew to fanfic

It had been an average day; patrols, handling visiting dignitaries, doing exercises to keep himself balanced. No heavy feeling in the air, nobody suspicious around. Just the most normal day, as normal as they had been since his journeys had finished and he settled in at Caed Nua. That only made it all the more shocking as things went horribly, terribly wrong.

He’d been discussing a small trade agreement with a local lord when one of the sentries came into the hall quickly, only a brief formality before alerting him of a gathering storm above.

“A storm? I take it there’s more to it than that if it’s important enough to note. Walk with me.” Yinro turned on his heel and gestured for the sentry to follow along as he moved quickly through the hall. “We’ll have to continue our chat later, milord.” He cast back to the rather annoyed looking lord he’d abandoned behind him.

“It’s strange milord, like nothing we’ve ever seen before. It appears to be circling here, above the keep. Nobody knows what to make of it…” The sentry filled him in as they walked and as they cast open the door to the main hall, all at once Yinro was made aware of why they brought it to his attention. 

Settlers looked around nervously, casting wary glances at the sky as they went about their business. Some wondered if they were to get rain, while others worried it was but a sign of what was yet to come. “It appeared very suddenly, more suddenly than any other I’ve seen, milord.” Yinro looked around at the folk milling about before nodding gently.

“We’ll keep an eye out for any change, though we should probably get everyone indoors if it’s simply a powerful storm. W-” He was cut off as the storm suddenly burst, but it wasn’t rain that it let out. Lightning shot across the sickly sky, and the storm opened above them, casting a ghastly light down upon the keep. All at once people were screaming and running, and at first Yinro was worried there was an attack, or something loose on the grounds.

It’s possible he wasn’t entirely off, but at this moment he suddenly saw. Kith dropping down, and their souls leaving their bodies in an all-too-familiar way. Their screams told him enough of their experience, and the souls heading into the large adra hands told him the rest. “That doesn’t make sense…” He was suddenly jerked to the side as the ground beneath him lurched. Nay, the ground beneath the entirety of the keep lurched, and cracked apart.

He turned to the sentry, “Spread the word! Get everyone away from the keep, there’s no time for any belongings-” He cut off as the sentry dropped to the ground, screaming only for a moment before he was cut off. “Gods!” He took off, finding whoever he could and pointing them towards the nearest exit, shouting at them to get away as far as they could as the ground cracked around them.

He couldn’t have time to figure out what was happening, didn’t have the time to sit still and think. Strangers and people he’d come to call friends alike were plucked from their screaming bodies, some as they ran, others as they fought helpless battles against a force they couldn’t help to face. The ground cracked again, and Yinro turned to face the source as the head of Od Nua breached the surface of the land, followed by both arms hoisting itself up.

He’d never felt so small, so helpless, even when he directed millions of souls back to where they belonged. How… how was he meant to fight this? And as that head turned, he never felt more frozen in fear. It bore a crown of blazing light, one that had become all too familiar in his quest to help Eder. The one he couldn’t see past in the vision of Woden’s journey, the one that had come to haunt his thoughts as one of the few blind spots in his abilities.

“Eothas…” It came out as barely a whisper as his keep crumbled around him. Snapping himself out of it, he turned and did all he could think of. Run. He watched as a group running was caught under a large pile of rubble from the walls and carried into the deep cracks in the ground, gritting his teeth. They were supposed to be safe here, happy here. He jumped from one piece to the next, panting.

If he could just get a little further… He ran towards a steadily sinking wall, one he knew led to the edge of the keep. If he could just pass it, he could make it to the survivors. But as he ran a familiar tingle filled his body, pulling back at him but not physically. The Adra pulled at his soul agonizingly familiar. He pushed past it, using the agony to spurn him further as he’d been trained to. But at the last moment, just as he was about to jump to the wall, the agony overwhelmed him and his muscles seized and he screamed, falling down into the Endless Paths.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Eder yawned, bouncing with the trot of his horse. It was getting late, and he was nearly there. It had been far too long since he’d been by Caed Nua to visit Yinro, having been caught up with trouble involving the underground group. But now that the trouble was settled, he was free to go about his own personal business. He reached down and patted the horse before dismounting, deciding to keep awake by walking the rest of the way to the town.

“At this rate we’ll be there tomorrow, won’t we old girl?” He reached over and patted the horse again as he grabbed his waterskin, drinking down the rest of it. It was a calm evening’s walk the rest of the way, the path easy enough to walk on considering. They made their way through the scattered homes along the path until they reached the main body where he could tie up his horse and treat her with an apple.

He slipped into the local inn, the scent of warm food and the heavy whiteleaf smoke filling the air and making him feel right at home. He put in his order before finding a seat in the corner, late enough it wasn’t too busy though a few that had nothing better to do were still around. He had received his order and was halfway through his warm meal when he caught wind of someone talking about Caed Nua. He shifted slightly and listened in.

“Whole Keep’s destroyed now, didn’t ya hear?”

That.. didn’t sound right. They couldn’t have been talking about Caed Nua…

“A damn shame too, they finally get the place up and running for real. Thought about settling up near there myself.”

“They said not many made it out. Still lookin’ for survivors.”

Eder dropped his fork, meal forgotten as he made his way over to the duo and placed his hands down on the table. “Did you say Caed Nua?” His voice came out sharp and short as he tried to conceal the worry in it.

“What’s it to you?” One of the men took a swig of ale and gave him an annoyed look before looking back to his friend.

“I have a friend who- who lives there. You said it was destroyed?” Eder nearly pleaded for the man to talk, disregarding the look.

“Mh. A couple days ago. Survivors say this huge statue up and lifted from the ground, raized the whole thing.” 

Eder stared at him as he spoke, swallowing hard.

“Come on, statues don’t just come to life Jurian.”

“It’s just what they say.” The man bit back at his friend before turning to Eder. “I’m sorry for your loss..” 

Eder shook his head, “He’s not dead.” He turned from them, and headed back out the door and back to his horse, glad he hadn’t pushed her today. He ran a hand down her snout and untied her. “Look’s like we’re going to get there today. Sorry to interrupt your rest.” He saddled up and rode out, going faster now. At this rate, they could get there in a few hours. He couldn’t be dead, he just couldn’t.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Eder would have rode straight through to the main hall of the keep if he could, but had to pull hard on the reins to stop the horse even further out than usual. He couldn’t do anything for a few moments besides stare, stare at the pile of rubble and the deep hole that used to be Caed Nua. His hands shook as he dismounted and patted the horse. “This… this can’t be right.” He shuffled forward towards the edge of the pit and his hand came up to his mouth.

An odd sensation found its way into his head and he scratched it but found no relief. Instead, he heard a voice he hadn’t heard in a very long time, and he felt the warm accompanying sensation that he hadn’t felt since the last time. “Master Eder? Is that really you?”

“Steward!” He said back, thought back to her as he knelt down next to the hole. “How are you alive? Alive as you can be, anyway.” A wry smile found its way to his mouth.

“I am still bound to the keep, but it is good you are here. I require your assistance to rescue milord.”

Eder’s heart raced faster and a sense of relief overwhelmed him. “He’s alive! I knew it! Where is he?”

“I fear he is trapped below. And he is alive, but I believe something is wrong. He has not been responsive since the attack.”

Fear gripped him, but he nodded as he mapped out a path to how he could get down. “Can you guide me there?”

“Yes. I can guide you from there.” Eder slipped down into the pit, carefully catching himself on rocks as he steadily made his way down. Wouldn’t do any good to end up stuck in the pit as well, he told himself.

“What happened? Heard the statue came up out of the ground but that can’t be right. Can it?” Eder asked hesitantly as he made his way deeper, following brief instructions Steward relayed to him.

“It may seem strange, but that is indeed what happened. I’m not sure I understand it myself.” A wave of sorrow passed through her voice, “The whole of the statue functioned as what my lord described as a biawac, plucking souls of those trying to flee. My lord tried to help, but… He seemed to be safe from the effects at first, but I lost contact with him when he fell. Here! He’s around here.”

Eder swallowed the pit in his throat before looking up from where he was walking to see a loose pile of rubble in front of him. “You.. you don’t mean here in this pile do ya?” A muttered assurance said she did in fact mean the pile in front of him. “I swear he’s the luckiest bastard to be alive under all this.” He started near the top, not wanting to disrupt the balance of things underneath and ending up crushing him. A lesson he’d learned trying to dig their way out of Sun and Shadow the hard way.

He wasn’t sure how long he dug at the pile, could have been hours the way he was sweating and his muscles ached but he couldn’t bring himself to stop. His friend was under here, a friend who would do no less for him were the situation reversed.

A wave of relief and a sudden warmth swelled in his chest as he finally saw blue skin poking out from the rubble, renewing his flagging energy. He pulled away the rubble and moved it all away until Yinro was completely removed from the rubble. In place of his swelling joy, fear settled in like a heavy rock in his stomach.

He looked real hurt, dried blood in spots on his skin and clothes and in his hair, ankle and arm twisted in a way that told him they were broken. Worst of all, he had that distant look on his face like he was looking at a soul and his breathing was ragged and slow. It reminded him of the Hollowborn and immediately he regretted the thought as he leaned down next to him. 

“Y-you’re going to be alright. I’ve gotcha now.” He smiled as if he’d actually be able to see him and shifted him carefully into his arms. “Let’s get you out of this hole, somewhere flat we can fix your arm and leg.” He spoke as he moved back the way he came, footing even more careful.

Steward was quiet, mercifully so as he just spoke to Yinro. Reassuring him, telling him of everything he’d done for the Night Market recently, baddies he’d gotten rid of, even sweet cakes the older Eothasians would make for him as a reward. Anything to keep talking, to distract himself from how limp he felt in his arms.

He’d lost friends before, killed one himself to protect another. He couldn’t quite place what made this hurt so much, why he couldn’t look at him but couldn’t bring himself to look away at the same time. Why his eyes burned as he laid him out on the ground outside of the pit. He used his own travel bedding to make him comfortable, not sure how long it’d take to find some in the rubble. 

He worked in silence now as he cleaned the blood off of him and patched his wounds, breaking the silence only to apologize as he set his arm into place. Part of him hoped it would hurt enough to snap him out of this.. State he was in, but it was a fruitless hope as he remained just as comatose as before.

Eder spent days like this, having set up a camp around where he’d lain him out, worried to move him again. He ate, helped to give Yinro some nutrients and water. He had no excuse for why his hands shook each time he didn’t swallow and just let the broth glide down his throat. He caught himself staring more than a few times, eyes burning and a lump in his throat, waiting for any movement.

He didn’t see any until late one night while he read by the fire, aloud. Just in case, he told himself. It was some dumb story, reading only to pass the time when he heard something. He looked around the brush, worry pulsing through him as he grabbed his sword.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

He wasn’t quite conscious, but not unconscious. He felt like he was thrust into another soul’s memories, but without actually seeing anything. It was silent, void of anything to see, he felt nothing. Then he felt… cold. And afraid but he couldn’t remember why he was afraid, but it brought his heartbeat to a breathtaking pace. The first thing he heard was his own weak gasp for air, then suddenly everything rushed into focus. He felt pain, so much pain. His arm and foot ached, everything else stinging with the familiar sensation of poultice in an open wound. After a few gasps of breath, he had enough air in him to let out a small whine and he gripped the fabric under him, squeezing tight with his good arm.

“Hey… Hey!” 

A voice called out to him, worried but soft, quiet. Gentle. It sounded nice, made him feel less of that mysterious fear. He bit down on his lip to cover up another whine, eyes shut tight with the strain of it. Gods why did everything hurt?

“You’re awake! Good…”

An itch of deja vu sparks through his mind and he’s worried he’s woken into someone’s memories, but he has more… self than usual to feel this much pain. He takes a few moments to calm himself and adjust to the sensations before he peeks his eyes open. They feel heavy and his vision is blurred as he looks around until they settle on a shape over him.

“That’s it, open your eyes. C’mon, stay with me.”

That was new, and warm. Everything comes together suddenly, vision and memory alike into a solid image of who’s here.

“Eder..?” His voice squeaks out of him hoarsely but even as he speaks it he feels relieved looking at the worried man over him. A smile quirks his lips as he closes his eyes again, “What are you doing here? You weren’t due for a few more days at least…” It takes him a few moments to actually get the sentence out, his throat dry and spikes of pain stopping him every few words.

“Yeah, it’s me.” He smiles softly at him. “You.. you don’t remember what happened?” Eder seems worried again, voice shaking as he gently takes his good hand.

Yinro shakes his head gently which earns him another grimace. 

“W-why don’t you try?” Eder’s voice is concerned but its clear he’s trying to put him at ease.

Yinro gives a small nod and thinks back, trying to figure out how he ended up here on the ground with Eder worried. Had they gone out for bandits? No, they hadn’t gone together for a while. He licks his lips as he creases his brow to think back. “The storm, I remember a storm..”

Eder looks puzzled but nods at him to continue.

His breath catches as that fear returns, that feeling of utter uselessness. The statue. Eothas. His mind flashes back through the memories and he shoots up, narrowly avoiding colliding with Eder as he grimaces, pulling his arm across his chest.

“Easy there! Don’t want to pull any of your stitches, I worked hard to patch you up.” The worry in his voice peaks as he gently settles Yinro into a sitting position, hands shaking.

Yinro wipes his hand across his face and shakes his head, “The statue…” He finds the sorrow in his voice twisted as he remembers each pain-stricken face, every building collapsing, people screaming and running, twisted into a righteous anger.

He finds a brief moment where he looks to Eder in anger, to lash out at him, for what his god did to this place, to his people- his FRIENDS. It quickly melts away when he sees the concern on his face, the fear and worry. Not totally, but he could never blame Eder for this. He lets out breath, a heavy sigh, to keep himself level but still finds his voice trembling.

“Steward?”

“Yes, milord?” She chimes back, the warm feeling flowing over him. She sounds happy.

“Do we know where it went?”

“I.. can do some digging milord. I doubt it will be difficult to follow the trail of.”

“Thank you, please do.” Yinro turns back to Eder, pulling his good leg up to balance himself better. He fidgets for a moment, “Thank you, for this.” He gestures to himself. “I… how long has it been?” 

Eder shifts a bit, rubbing at the back of his neck. “Well, its been a few days since I pulled you out of the rubble. Apparently this-” He gestures out at the hole, “happened a few days before I got here.”

Yinro nods and shifts as though trying to make himself comfortable and failing. He smiles gently, “I appreciate it.” His face falls a bit, “Eder, I have to go.”

“Go?” He’s met with an exasperated voice. “You just had an entire keep fall on you and you want to run off on another adventure?”  
Yinro opens his mouth to retort before Eder interrupts him before he can speak.

He’s beaming, “-Without me?”

For a moment he feels something swell in his chest and his lips quirk up. He chuckles weakly and shakes his head, “I’m not sure you’ll want to follow me on this one..”

“Try me.” Eder grins at him.

Yinro chuckles again before his face falls. “It’s… the statue.”

“Its pretty damn big, shouldn’t be too hard to find.” He sounds amused as he crosses his arms and leans back.

Yinro can’t find a way to put it delicately, and can’t bring himself to NOT tell him. “It’s got Eothas in it.”

The straw in Eder’s mouth slips down just a bit and he seems purely, genuinely stunned for a moment. He looks at the hole, then back to him. “Yer sure?”

Yinro nods gently, “When I saw the vision before, when we were trying to find out about your brother.” His face falls a bit as he’s still upset he couldn’t find the answers Eder was looking for. “When he met with Waidwen, there was the light I couldn’t see passed. The statue bore the same one.”

Eder is quiet again, digesting this information. The silence stretches on for a few minutes before he shifts and sits up, “Well that settles it, I’m definitely going with you.”

“Eder you don’t-”

“I want to. Entirely for selfish reasons, I assure you. I want some answers still.” He grins, “And what kind of friend would I be if I let you run across the country in your state by yourself?”

Yinro can’t help but smile warmly at him, wondering how he stood being away from this man for so long before catching himself from the thought and letting out a breath. He looks up and smiles at him hesitantly. 

“Let’s hunt a god.”


	2. Too Much to Deny

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waiting for word of Eothas, Yinro and Eder don't have much to do besides... wait, recover, and figure out how to stand again. In more ways than one.
> 
>    
> AKA I decided one chapter wasn't enough for this story.  
> 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things got a little out of hand and longer than anticipated but uh.  
> The Gay is strong with this one
> 
> only one *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ this time but still a shift
> 
> sorry about the large spacing theres 10 pages of this and it was either big spaces or none
> 
> criticism welcome! Im new to this

It had been nearly a week since Yinro woke up, and he was.. Different. Quieter, more poised. The thought of him being a local lord having changed him crossed his mind, but he knew down at his core he was the same. He’d lost before- lost a lot, all sense of structure but… nothing like this. To go through so much work, so much time, all for that to be ripped away.

 

He knew Yinro had been bored on occasion of sitting in his chair and listened to pleas, that’s why he came to visit. They’d go raid local bandit camps and attempt to sway them to live a more decent life, and then go their separate ways. But Yinro had been happy doing this, able to do real good for people on a much larger scale and become one of the best lords the area had had. And now that was all gone, taken away in an instant.

 

So, it was Eder’s turn to keep up conversation, and hold it while he recovered from his injuries. Already he was up and walking, and though his arm would take more time to heal before he could use it for anything strenuous, with minimal pain he was able to move his fingers and almost fully extend it. He offered to move their makeshift camp further from the pit, but Yinro was content to stay put even as it was clear how much it hurt him.

 

He told him on one cold morning that he couldn’t feel anything. When Eder answered with concern, he supplied that there was simply nothing left of essence here. No trace of anyone having been here, of the bodies laying under the rubble, of the hundreds of years of history in this soil. It was all simply.. Gone. Suddenly the pit felt more eerie than it had before, deeper and emptier all into.. Nothing. 

 

He hadn’t said much after that, and Eder knew something was wrong, even if Yinro brushed it off. He wished he’d yell and scream, cry, do something to try to help himself, but he felt.. Empty. Devoid of what had made him him and it terrified him, even if he wasn’t sure why. It was natural for a large event like this to change you, but he was still HIM. 

 

So then why were all of his smiles so short-lived and half-baked? He didn’t want to cook, even though Eder was still rather rusty at it, content to just stir the pot in silence. He hadn’t seen him do any stretches or routines since the last time they went out. And it scared him. It shook him to his core to see this vibrant man, even in the face of their struggles for that year chasing an underground cult, reduced to this. Quiet. Tired. Empty. 

 

Even the anger he’d seen flash in his eyes, boiling and burning inside him, would be better than this. Even directed at him it’d be better. The worst part was that he had no idea what to do. Yinro would brush him off at every opportunity, content to stew behind those cold eyes. Content to remain cold and closed off instead of letting any of how he feels out. 

 

And for lacking a better option, Eder talked. He talked often and of good stories. Of the past, of their friends and any recent word he’d heard, those stories he spoke aloud when he was unconscious, anything he could think of. It got him to interact, at the very least. To listen and ask the occasional question. When Eder was really lucky though, he’d laugh. Not long, and not the same flabbergasted snickers he used to get, but just enough that for a moment his face would light up. And he lived for that moment, when his inner turmoil melted away and he just let himself indulge in that brief moment of joy.

 

Tonight he managed that a few times as they ate over dinner as he told a story of how he had been tasked with the exceedingly difficult task of removing a few families of animals taking shelter from the cold in a Night Market base. No problem during winter, but they started causing trouble come spring and needed to be relocated. 

 

“Now.. the squirrels were hard enough to deal with.” Eder rubbed his forehead at the memory, and Yinro let out a soft chuckle, short but sweet.

 

“Oh I’ll bet.”

 

“Oh, I’m not done. The last family that had taken up residence were.. Ah..” He rubbed at the back of his neck, “Skunks. They were skunks, and a lot of them.”

 

A moment crossed his face where Yinro didn’t quite understand before it registered to him and his face lit up, and he actually sputtered when he laughed, leaning over a bit as he tried not to spill his stew. It caught him so off guard, Eder dropped his spoon still full of broth and stared at him.

 

Yinro looked a bit sheepish as he looked up and saw Eder staring, “W-what? Something on my face?”

 

Eder blinked at him for a moment before looking away and picking up his spoon, “No, sorry, just ah..” Distracted wasn’t quite right, “Surprised is all. Haven’t seen you laugh like that in a while.”

 

“Oh.” Eder almost regretted saying anything as he dimmed down again. He was about to speak up, some protest, when Yinro smiled a bit awkwardly and ran a hand through his hair. “I guess I have been.. Distant these past few days.”

 

Eder stared at him for a moment before shaking his head, “Nah, don’t worry about it. This is a lot, and you gotta deal with that how you gotta deal with that. I’m just here to keep you company.”

 

He watched as Yinro’s face fell again, eyes shining with tears he wouldn’t shed, not yet. Then he took a deep breath and shook it off, shifting forward and grabbing up his stew again, “Well, the least I can do is listen. How did you get the skunks out?”

 

Eder smiled a bit at that, at that little bit of trying, “Well, it got real smelly that’s for sure. Got some scars out of it too. See, the problem was I started trying with the kids first, and mama wasn’t so happy about that.” He continued on with the story as they ate, occasionally sparking another laugh from Yinro, but a nice amused smile kept on his face most of the time. After that they settled in for the night, not having much else to do.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

He walked through an empty field, sword in his hand and shield on his arm. He felt weary and tired, stumbling his way forward to Eothas knew where. He could hear the cacophony of battle some distance ahead, but no matter how far he walked he couldn’t seem to reach it. He dropped his head with a ragged breath, and realized the field wasn’t empty at all.

 

It was littered with corpses, eyes lidded and lifeless. Faces he recognized and faces he didn’t, and he felt sick. The scene seemed familiar, an itch in his mind telling him he was needed ahead, in the battle. He tried to ignore the bodies, step around and over them just to get further. One.. step… more. Surely he could reach it, that place he was needed.

 

He froze as he looked ahead, feeling something small in him break. A body he recognized- Woden, with an expression he never expected to see on his face. One he’d managed to avoid imagining and now it sat before him in horrifying glory. He stumbled forward and crouched next to him, reaching out a hesitant, shaking hand. But as soon as his hand touched his cheek, tears welled in his eyes, Woden turned to sand and blew away into the sky.

 

He had but a moment of somber reflection before the hand of a corpse reached out, grabbing him more tightly than any cadaver should be able to manage. He jerked his arm away but couldn’t break out; hacking at it with his sword brought his freedom but not for long. All around him they seemed to have a sudden life, gripping him and pulling him down into the pile. He tried to call out for help but no sound left his mouth.

 

A soft ‘shhh’ found its way to his ears and he felt like he had to hold his breath, deep under water. He opened his eyes to see the source of the gentle shushing. Yinro. His hands found their way to his cheeks, a thumb gently running over his stubble. He smiled at him, seemed to mouth something obscured by the bubbles, and then he melted away into the sea. 

 

Eder closed his eyes as he tried to jerk free until he was finally released, grasping into the current in front of him to try to grasp him but he was too late. Feeling something terrible in his gut, he started swimming towards what he could only assume was up, gasping loudly as he broke the surface. Shore was only a short distance away and with stamina he could only apply to adrenaline he made his way there.

 

He crawled his way out of the shallows, breathing deeply and ragged, coughing up water he didn’t remember swallowing. When he looked up he saw reeds and fog, and had no sense of where to go. He looked behind him and saw the same dense fog and the dark, murky water. He stayed there on the ground for a moment before slowly standing, his weapons gone now. Whatever came, he would have to depend on himself.

 

With resignation in his mind, he set off into the fog.

 

He walked blind for a long while, completely surrounded by the dense white fog. He didn’t see shapes in it, and it was alarmingly quiet. Or it would be, if he didn’t have an odd sense of calm settled around him like a cloak. He felt safe in this expanse of white, like it was shielding him from something.

 

He paused as a dog emerged from the fog in front of him, making no sound but having the motion of a bark and then it turned and charged off into the fog. Eder, sure it was supposed to guide him, followed after hot on its heels. He could never see more than the back paws as he ran, but it was enough to go off of. 

 

He wasn’t sure how long he ran, but he was sure he could keep going til the ends of Eora. Luckily, he didn’t have to as the dog slowed and led him to a clearing in the fog. He blinked to adjust to seeing more than the blinding white of the fog. Sitting on a rock in the center, his back to him, was Yinro. He sat stock still on his legs, hair long and drenched, still dripping. He began to take a step forward when he felt a sudden fear settle over him.

 

His voice started softly, “Eder…?” The figure didn’t turn to him. Its voice grew until it sounded like it was speaking right in front of him. “What are you doing here? You weren’t due for a few more days at least…” It sounded just as dry and raspy as.. When had he heard it? 

 

“The storm, I remember a storm..” He wasn’t sure why, but each word that was spoken slipped him further and further into this mysterious fear building inside of him, and yet he couldn’t move toward or away from him.

 

And if he could, he wasn’t sure whether he’d flee or run to him.

 

A breath catches, loudly, and he can hear how raspy and tired it is, and full of fear as is reverberates through the area, out into the fog until it's barely a ghost of a whisper.

 

“The statue…” A throb of dread rocks through him and he feels like he could move but he feels locked in place by fear now.

 

Yinro’s face turns to him now, anger burning through it as he twists his body awkwardly to get down and stand from the rock, facing him. Unlike last time, when?, the anger does not recede and he’s helpless to stand there as the Watcher, his friend, storms towards him. He’s naked and drenched, as he appeared in the water with the soft, calming look on his face. 

 

“The statue!” It’s said in an angry, accusatory tone as he grasps Eder’s armor from the front, teeth bared.

 

“You did this!” He seethed, nearly spat at him. Why did he seem so tall now? “You and your brother’s _ false god _ !” He shoves him back, but fists still clenched against his armor keep him from going far. But he’s tilted back under the large figure, a bit shaken as anger courses through him. “You’ve taken  _ EVERYTHING _ from me! What gives you the right!?” 

 

The more he yells, the less… kith he seems. Teeth sharper, claws of nails, hunched and volatile. And Eder cannot speak, cannot use his words to defend himself or console him. And now he is hunched over him, holding him with fists much larger than Eder is accustomed to him having.

 

Something in the fog draws Eder’s vision, distracting him from the beast of a man over him. He has enough self to regret the thought. Hot pools forming through his armor draw his attention back, and the angry beast is crying, shaking now with anger and tears.

 

He’s lifted high into the air and as a scream reverberates through the fog, he’s quickly thrust down against the ground and he’s lost his breath. The action reminds him of a child throwing a fit, and yet it still fills him with a sorrow he doesn’t understand. He looks up, expecting to see the beast but instead he sees the small figure of Yinro as he was when he first left the rock, except on his face was a vision of sadness.

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

“I know.” And it’s the first thing he’s been able to say. The only thing he’s able to say.

 

“I didn’t mean to.”

 

“I know.”

 

As he keeps apologizing and shaking, Eder makes his way closer to him, to his trembling form wanting nothing more than to hold him. And he does, he holds his small, cold body to his chest, arms wrapped tight around him, muttering gentle “I know”s to him. Even as claws dug into his back, he kept him close and safe in his arms.

 

The sound of a chain snapping sounded through the fog, and a shift in his arms, then he felt the teeth of an animal in his neck, growling resounding in its throat as it pressed him back and to the ground. It bit down harder, and for all his surprise it didn’t hurt, feeling at most a little numb. Like no matter what it did, it couldn’t truly hurt him.

 

And then Yinro was there again, sitting on his chest and looking down at him. The look was blank for a moment before he smiled, real and bright and genuine like he had before… before what? He cupped his cheeks again with his cold, gentle hands. He felt his thumb caress his cheek across his stubble.

 

Then he leaned down and kissed him.

 

It was gentle and slow, not passionate but like one afraid of what would happen. Of being pushed away. Hesitant.

 

Eder did not push him away, reaching up to brush a lock of drenched hair behind his ear as he kissed him in return. And it felt.. Right. 

 

And so they lay there for a while, revelling in this feeling as inexperienced as they were lately. Yinro pulled back after a while, taking a breath and letting out a small nervous laugh, smiling down at Eder. He tucked his hair back behind his head, and Eder had the brief notion of his expression changing before it seemed a ridiculous notion to have. He was happy, they were happy.

 

He leaned up, slow and cautious, tucking a hand behind Yinro’s head and kissing him again, less hesitant than before. Like giving in to something he hadn’t known he wanted-  _ needed _ . And Yinro returned in vigor, a hand resting on Eder’s arm.

 

“Eder..?”

 

The voice rings out in the fog, hoarse and tired. Suddenly the hand slipped off his arm, and Yinro seemed heavier in his arms. He peeked his eyes open and pulled himself back in surprise. His face shifted between angry, sorrowful, and a limp, empty expression. Yinro brought his hands up to hold his shifting face and a scream resounded through the fog, loud and deafening.

 

And then he grew limp, expression staying on that empty expression. The one like Woden wore, alongside all those corpses of fallen soldiers. He seemed to fall back away from Eder in slow motion. Eder shifted, feeling slow, too slow as he reached out to catch him.

 

A little further. Just a little… more…

As he made contact with the elf’s cold, blue skin something stirred in the air. It was as if his touch set something off, and he watched with wide eyes as Yinro shifted into purple smoke starting from the point of contact and spreading quick, too quick for how slow everything was. He reached out, passing right through him, a look of desperation on his face.

 

For a moment he thinks he sees Yinro look at him before he’s gone again, no evidence of him having been there at all.

 

He’s left with his arm outstretched to nobody, and the chilling realization that the scream had not stopped, and that it was coming from him.

 

He wakes with a start, and a loud gasp like he was out of breath. He felt cold chills across him from sweat drops all over him and repressed a shiver. He rubbed at his forehead before dropping his arm heavy. Must have had a nightmare. Been a while since he had one.

 

He lays there for a few minutes, listening to the crackle of fire while he tries to piece everything together and catch his breath. The dream comes back to him in pieces that leave him feeling unsettled and longing for the company of someone up on watch, something he’ll have to do without. It was probably for the best Yinro was asleep, not sure he could look at him without getting embarrassed after… that.

 

He rubbed at his brow, eyes pressed closed as he lets out a sigh, quickly shifting to a gasp as the last part of his nightmare comes back to him. It was a ridiculous thing to worry about, there was no way Yinro had vanished into purple smoke while Eder slept 5 feet away. With a groan he sat up and looked over.

 

“See Eder, just fi-” He spoke in a whisper that cut off as he saw Yinro’s empty bedroll. That. “Okay, there’s a perfectly logical, non purple smoke related reason for that.” He took a look around for any sign of him being nearby, seeing nothing. Trying to push down the panic in his chest, he pulled himself up from the ground and stretched, grabbing his sword just in case and checking the nearby brush for any signs of a struggle or someone being dragged.

 

Nothing.

 

He made his way back to the makeshift camp, taking another look around and letting out a breath. “Come on Yinro, you can’t just wander off right now.” He thought it was a bit odd to think so, given that he was a talented monk and and practiced Watcher which opened him to a whole other host of tricks. Yet, he still thought it.

 

Having nothing to go on, he started patrolling the area, hoping to find some sign or even just find out he decided to go on a walk in the middle of the night so he could leave this be.

 

After about 20 minutes of walking, he caught a flash of light out of the corner of his eye, and being far enough away from the campfire allowed him to hear.. Some kind of noise, indistinguishable from a distance. He decided that was enough to go on and slid down into the pit where things had settled about a level down, far enough from the statue to keep from collapsing all the way to the bottom. 

 

His footsteps are quiet and careful, gods know what he was waiting for him in this pit. He worked his way into a panic over it, convinced it was some sort of cultists using this land for something sinister, so when he heard Yinro yelling something, words but still indistinguishable, his heart leapt in his throat and he ran forward a bit.

 

And he was stopped dead in his tracks as he only saw Yinro, panting with electricity crackling around his forearms. With a shout, he moved forward again and punched at the air, going through his exercises. They weren’t as calm as usual, yelling and shouting accompanying the motions instead of a gentle grunt as usual.

 

Eder backed up behind a pile of rubble so as to not be caught. Sure he’d found his reason for Yinro running off, but this was the most old-self thing he’d done since he woke up. It was reassuring, and he wanted to take a bit to watch. He jumped as he started to yell words, angry and spitting.

 

“Fucking life! All the work you do to keep on living and what happens!? A GOD destroys your keep, your HOME!!” His words are full of a spite he hadn’t heard from Yinro before, different even from his dream. “It just keeps FUCKING TAKING!” His voice broke a bit there.

 

“It takes my MOTHER, who never did a damn thing wrong!” He throws a punch and takes a step forward. “It takes my life of NORMALCY! Of just your AVERAGE ELF!” Another, stepping further forward. “A new family leaves, but that’s fine I have things to do and people to meet, and they have their lives to live, no big.” He pauses here, taking a few deep breaths, arms still crackling.

 

“And now THIS!?” His voice breaks again. “I work HARD to make a LIFE for myself, to move on from the past and… and now this..?” He sounds quiet, Eder can barely hear him. His posture changes, aggressive and firm he reels back, “Now you take EVERYTHING from me!?”

 

Halfway through the sentence he delivers the blow to a cobblestone wall from the side of the keep. The electricity shoots out of his arm and blows the stone apart. He stands there panting for a few moments before his figure trembles in the pale dawn light.

 

“Why…? What did I do wrong…?” His voice is pleading, soft and broken. With a ragged breath that shakes his body he slips to the ground, holding his arms and hunching over. Even from a distance Eder can see him shaking with tears he’d been holding back.

 

And he wants to hold him, to shush him and tell him it’ll be okay.

 

He thinks, how can he? The future holds uncertain, no word back yet on where Eothas had gone. Even when they do find him… nothing will be as it was. But after a moment the thought it gone, and he’s moving towards him.

 

He feels Yinro jump as his arms settle around him. He’s alarmed for a moment before Eder gently shushes him. He tenses when he hears Eder, pushing him back and standing a bit sloppily.

 

Eder looks up at him puzzled and sees his angry expression and tired eyes, before he can speak Yinro cuts him off. “What are you doing!? Can’t you tell you’re company isn’t wanted right now!? YOUR god did this, YOUR god took EVERYTHING from me!! How am I supposed to know that if it was some sort of divine plan of his you wouldn’t have helped!? How am I supposed to know if you just didn’t get the CHANCE!?”

 

He’s tearing up again as he yells, and Eder stands slowly with his hands out in surrender. He pretends the words don’t hurt, he knows they’re only being said in anger, in desperation for answers only his god can provide. Yinro holds onto himself as his anger breaks way to a pleading sorrow.

 

Eder moves towards him slowly, and at first Yinro backs up against the crumbled remains of the wall before stopping as the tears in his eyes overflow and spill down his cheeks. Eder closes the distance between them, wrapping his arms around him and holding him against his chest. 

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

“I know.” It’s the first thing he says. It’s the only thing he needs to say.

 

“I didn’t mean it.” 

 

“I know.”

 

Yinro hiccups a sob against him, wrapping his arms around the larger man, fingers clinging into his shirt. “You did-didn’t do anything. I-I know you wouldn’t!” He chokes out against Eder’s chest. Eder simply shushes him, gently and kindly.

 

“It’s okay to cry. Let it out, I’m here for you.” Yinro sniffles and shakes against him, taking a moment before he’s bawling his eyes out, clinging to Eder like a lifeline. He sinks down, pulling Eder with him, as he can’t support his own weight anymore.

 

It breaks his heart to hear him like this, see him like this, after everything that’s happened. They only had a few moments like this in the past, each after something severe like this. When Yinro needed something, someone to hold onto. The last one being when he’d nearly died. Should have, really. 

 

Then he remembers that… Yinro did almost die. Again. At the hands of yet another god, his own god at that. His breath catches and he holds Yinro just a bit tighter. He could have lost him, shown up just a few days too late and he’d just be… gone. And he wasn’t sure why the thought put such a heavy feeling of fear in his gut, or why he briefly teared up.

 

They sat there for a long while, til the early morning sun cleared the fog around the keep and the birds began chirping in the woods nearby. Yinro cried for longer than Eder figured anyone could, but if anyone  _ could _ cry that long, it would be him. He had so much to cry for. Eder gently rubbed his back as he pulled away, rubbing at his face as if that could get rid of the evidence.

 

He chuckled, embarrassed as Eder looked down at him. “Stop looking at me like that!” He gave him a light jab, breaking Eder from his spell. He opened his mouth to speak, but Yinro cut him off. “I’m sorry. Like, really sorry, you didn’t deserve any of that. I was just so angry, I still am and I don’t know what to do with it. I shouldn’t have taken it out on you.” He looked at Eder with the deepest expression of regret. “I’m sorry, Eder.”

 

Eder shook his head, “You needed to vent, it’s nothing less than you let me do back when. And nothing less than you’d let me do today if I needed.” He wiped a fresh tear from Yinro’s eye, the blush blending in with his already flush face but he noticed Yinro’s eyes widen at the action and swallow hard.

 

“You’re a damn good man, Eder, and I’m lucky to know you.” He cast a glance over him, and something softer touched his smile. Softer than a strange kindness, softer than the kind look he gave strangers. Something deeper. And for a moment, Eder understood. He grinned.

 

“Yeah, I guess you are lucky to know me.” Yinro laughed at that and gave him a light shove.

 

This was the man he knew.

 

The man he...


End file.
